9to5, the community organization that gathered the citizen signatures for Milwaukee's sick leave mandate referendum, issued the following statement today about the lawsuit filed by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MACC):
"The MMAC, in its latest attempt to disenfranchise Milwaukee voters, filed a lawsuit today against the city's paid sick day ordinance that passed in November with 69 percent of the vote.
"Mayor (Tom) Barrett, City Attorney Grant Langley and the Common Council have gone on record and vowed to work to implement and defend the ordinance. 9to5 supports the ongoing efforts to staff and fully fund the Equal Rights Commission to implement and enforce paid sick days.
"During an economic crisis, the MMAC should be supporting businesses that protect worker rights and help them implement the paid sick day legislation. Instead of providing better services for businesses to help them survive the economic crisis, they are attacking this ordinance and seek to waste taxpayer money at a time when city budgets are tight. Paid sick days is not the problem and should not be blamed for any economic crisis, and the MMAC is using scare tactics to convince people otherwise.
The MMAC has a court date scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29, when Judge John DiMotto will decide how quickly the case moves forward.
Scott Beightol, a partner with Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, which is representing the MMAC, said, "Without the injunction, hundreds of Milwaukee area business, and thousands of Milwaukee area employees will face uncertainties and the imposition of, I'll guarantee you, millions of dollars in costs … We are optimistic that the court will enjoin the enforcement of the ordinance under the applicable legal standard we will be arguing, and ultimately we are very confident that the court will strike down the ordinance."
To read the news story filed earlier today about the MMAC's lawsuit, click here.
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